Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith announced today that he would leave his position this summer. As he has informed Secretary Rumsfeld, Mr. Feith made his decision for personal and family reasons.

At the same time, an investigation conducted by the Senate Select Intelligence Committee is looking into "back channel" meetings between officials from Feith's office and the former Iran contra arms dealer Manucher Ghorbanifar and other Iranian exiles, dissidents and government officials.

Finally, according to the Boston Globe, a third investigation is currently underway, this time by the House Judiciary committee, concerning yet more goings on at Feith's office. This one also focuses on the Ghorbanifar/Iran back channel meetings, with the key players attempting to destabilize the government of Syria. Specifically, the Globe says that "The investigators are also looking into a more serious concern: whether the office engaged in illegal activity by holding unauthorized meetings with foreign nationals to destabilize Syria and Iran without the presidential approval required for covert operations, said one senior congressional investigator who has longtime experience in intelligence oversight."

While the FBI is interested in a criminal probe, reporters might wish to consider the disturbing pattern of administration actions involving a combination of ideology, secrecy and incompetence. As the Washington Monthly recently reported, this behavior "typifies the out-of-control bureaucratic turf wars which have characterized and often hobbled Bush administration policy-making."

While all this would appear to cast serious doubt on Feith's continued job security, he has been in hot water before, but keeps bouncing back. Feith, whom Bob Woodward quotes former Army Gen. Tommy Franks as calling "the fu**ing stupidest guy on the face of the earth," is creator of the Office of Special Plans, a secretive intelligence unit that was conned by Iraqi exile Ahmad Chalabi and his cronies concerning the existence of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and connections between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda.

Sez Rummy:

Commenting on Mr. Feith’s planned departure, Secretary Rumsfeld said, “Doug Feith has contributed to the security of the country. He is creative, well organized, and energetic, and he has earned the respect of civilian and military leaders across the government. Regrettably, he has decided to depart, and he will be missed.”